Actor George Takei attends the Star Trek: The Star Fleet Academy Experience at Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum on June 30, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Noam Galai/WireImage)American actor George Takei appears as Sulu in a scene from 'The Man Trap,' the premiere episode of 'Star Trek,' which aired on September 8, 1966. (Photo by CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images)

George Takei has revealed that he is unhappy with the decision to make his character Hikarau Sulu gay in the upcoming Star Trek film.

Takei, who came out as gay in 2005 and is a passionate LBGT activist, played Sulu in the Star Trek films and TV series for over four decades.

The 79-year-old said that that while he’s happy there will be a gay character in the new film, he feels that the introduction will distort the original character.

“I’m delighted that there’s a gay character,” he told The Hollywood Reporter.

“Unfortunately, it's a twisting of Star Trek creator, Gene Roddenberry's creation, to which he put in so much thought. I think it's really unfortunate.”

The idea came from actor and screenwriter Simon Pegg and director Justin Lin, who both wanted to honour Takei’s legacy as an actor and LBGT activist in the film.

Takei told the magazine that when he first learned Sulu would be portrayed as gay by John Cho in this summer’s release, he encouraged Lin to “create a new character” and pay homage to what Roddenberry had created.

"I told him, 'Be imaginative and create a character who has a history of being gay, rather than Sulu, who had been straight all this time, suddenly being revealed as being closeted.'”

American actor George Takei appears as Sulu in a scene from 'The Man Trap,' the premiere episode of 'Star Trek,' which aired on September 8, 1966. (Photo by CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images)

Takei revealed that he spoke to Roddenberry in 1968 about the introduction of a gat character, and while Rodenberry was “a strong supporter of LGBT equality,” he felt that he would be walking on a tightrope and risk the show being cancelled.

Sulu’s revelation will mark the introduction of the first LBGT character in Star Trek’s 60 year history.